The effect of voluntary eye movements on associations and mood

The effects of eye movements induced by lights were compared to a non eye movement condition where subjects waited for a similar period of time. Subjects were first shown an emotional film which was interrupted just before its climax, and then exposed to 15 trials of 28-cycle eye movements or were exposed to the control waiting condition. After each trial they reported what they had thought about during the trial. Analysis of the themes and the depth of processing of these reports indicated that there was greater depth in the control than in the eye movement condition. There was little evidence of any effect on mood or emotional response, except that eye movements elicited greater hostile mood than the control condition.